Powershell Get-Content loads in a previous version of a file that has been modified

Jairo Javier Baleta Cali 131

I have a problem with the Get-Content command since it often loads an older version of the file it is reading. When this happens, you have to run the Get-Content command several times to update it to load the latest version of the file. I have searched and found nothing so far about this incident.

I hope you can help me.

Rich Matheisen 45,186 Reputation points

2024-05-08T18:17:12.2333333+00:00

What defines "an older version" of the file? Do you retain multiple versions of that file that all share the identical name (as in a "version control" system)? Do you keep copies of the same file on different devices? Or in different directories? If so, how are the copies synchronized?

The situation you describe sounds highly unlikely to be a PowerShell problem since PowerShell relies on the underlying file system to read the data. If you have only one file and you read it using a native command (e.g. "type" (DOS) or "cat" (*nix)) and see different contents using Get-Content (all using the same complete file path) then I think you have a real problem on your hands!

1 answer

Michael Taylor 49,251 Reputation points

2024-05-08T17:02:49.3066667+00:00
This isn't possible. Get-Content literally just calls the underlying provider for the path you give it. For the file system provider it is probably calling the File.ReadAllText method which is just a wrapper around the underlying Win32 file operation. There is no concept of "previous versions" built into any of this.

It sounds to me like you have a timing issue here. However you haven't shared any details on when this file gets updated, what the "previous version" means and what your script is doing. Off the top of my head some things that come to mind:

You're trying to read a file that is on a distributed file system or perhaps OneDrive and so the version you're reading is a cached copy that hasn't been updated yet. PS has no control over this.

You're using the File History feature of NTFS and something isn't right about it. PS has no control here either.

You are writing the file at the same time you're trying to read it so depending upon how the file is being written determines when you'd see the updated file contents.

Your script is programmatically figuring out the file to load and it is loading the wrong file.

There are other possibilities but without an understanding of what your script does it would be hard to guess.
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Jairo Javier Baleta Cali 131 Reputation points

2024-05-08T19:44:11.22+00:00

Thank you very much Michael for the response.

The commands I have used are: Get-Content -Path "Path" and Get-

Content -Path "Path" -UTF8 Encoding

Performing a review of the operating systems in which I have tested. Only what is evident in Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows 8.1 so far.

Michael Taylor 49,251 Reputation points

2024-05-08T19:46:45.2733333+00:00

What is going on with the file defined by Path before and after your call to Get-Content? Is the path a local path or a network path? How do you know it is a previous version? Please provide us as much context as possible otherwise it will take a while to help you.

Jairo Javier Baleta Cali 131 Reputation points

2024-05-08T20:15:46.36+00:00

Thank you very much Michael for the response.

It occurs with files located locally and with files located on another computer (shared folder).

I know it is an older version of the file because the data is not the same from the same update. For example:

File information before updating:

123458898,user1

Updated file information:

123458898,user5

Taking the previous example, it still takes "123458898, user1" and only after executing several times (2 or 3 executions) the Get-Content command does it take the information "123458898, user5".

Michael Taylor 49,251 Reputation points

2024-05-08T20:31:21.7966667+00:00

If it requires a couple of calls then it is a timing issue if you're calling it on a local file. If it is on a network share then it is possibly a network caching issue. Irrelevant this isn't a Powershell isn't. The problem is with the system. For a network share I would recommend using the UNC name instead and see if your problem goes away.

Michael Taylor 49,251 Reputation points

2024-05-08T20:44:49.0466667+00:00

Something else you could try is to use File::ReadAllText instead of Get-Content and see if the behavior changes.

$content = Get-Content -Path "path" $content = [System.IO.File]::ReadAllText("path")

That is as close to the underlying OS call as you can get and I would expect the same behavior.

Rich Matheisen 45,186 Reputation points

2024-05-08T21:16:35.16+00:00

If you wait a few minutes after the file has been modified before opening the file, do the modifications appear as you expect?

Jairo Javier Baleta Cali 131 Reputation points

2024-05-08T22:20:42.4366667+00:00

File::ReadAllText can use UTF8 Encoding?

Rich Matheisen 45,186 Reputation points

2024-05-09T01:49:11.9533333+00:00

Yes, you can supply the encoding you want:

[System.IO.File]::ReadAllText("filePath", [System.Text.Encoding]::UTF8)
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Powershell Get-Content loads in a previous version of a file that has been modified

1 answer